Bidet.



PATENTED MAR. 24, '1903.

F. A. WELLS DEG'D. w. E. WELLS. Anmhls'rauon.

BIDET.

APPLICATION FILED 0DT.26. 1901.

2 SHEETS-SHEETl.

IEO MODEL.

INVENTOH A TTORNEY Ina-"hams FEI'ERS co. FHOTO-LIYMQ. WASNINGTON. n. c,

No. 723,346. PATENTED MAR. 24, 1903. F. A. WELLS, DEOD.

W. E. WELLS, ADMINISTRATOR.

BIDET.

APPLICATION FILED 0OT. 26, 1901.

H0 MODEL. 29 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 12 &

1 T zilllwl INVENTOH.

2 ATTORNEY UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

- FRANK A. WELLS, OF NEI/V YORK, N. Y.; WILLIAM E. WELLS ADMIN- ISTRATOBOF SAID FRANK A. WELLS, DECEASED.

BIDET.

SiECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 723,846, dated March24, 1903.

Application filed October 26, 1901. Serial No. 80,064. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, FRANK'A. WELLS,a citizen of the United States, and aresident of New York city, borough of Manhattan, State of New York,haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Bidets, of which thefollowing is a specification.

The object of my invention is to provide an improved bidet wherein watermay be maintained at different levels for difierent purposes and whereinalso a spray or jet. of water may be directed upwardly to the top orseat portion of the bowl, a retained pool and. outlet being below thespray and jet open-p ings, and whereby also a tube and point may beconnected with the water-supply within the bowl for injection or similarpurposes; and to these ends my invention comprises the novel details ofimprovement that will be more fully hereinafter set forth and thenpointed out in the claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming parthereof, wherein- Figure 1 is a plan view of a bidet embodying myinvention. Fig. 2 is a section on the line 2 2 in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is anend elevation looking from the right in Fig. 1. Fig. 4. is an enlargeddetail view of the chamber for producing the spray. Fig. 4 is a detailof a coupling to be connected with a water-supply pipe. Fig. 5 is ahorizontal section on the line 5 5 in Fig. 4,and Fig. 6 is an enlargeddetail view of the overflow-controlling devices.

Similar numerals of reference indicatecorresponding parts in the severalviews.

In the drawings the numeral 1 indicates the bowl of the bidet, which maybe of suitable construction and shape,preferably of earthenware orfire-clay, and provided with a perforated flushing-rim 1. The top edge l'of the bowl is preferably concaved slightly to provide a convenientseat for the user, and the preferred contour of the top of the bowl isshown in Fig. 1, which has an elongated substantially oval shape,gradually narrowing from the back to the front. The bowl is shownsupported by a wall 1 depending around the sides and front and having arear opening.

2 is an outlet, which may be in the form of a tubular extension beneaththe bowl,projecting rearwardly and connected by couplings to awaste-pipe 3, controlled by a valve in a stand-pipe 4, for maintainingwater in the bowl. Y

The bowl, its supporting-walls, the flushing-rim, and the outlet 2 areall preferably made in a single piece of material. In front of thebottom 1 of the bowl is a depression forming a water receptacle or spaceI in which water may be maintained in a pool below the level of thebottom 1 in position to be utilized by the hands for washing parts ofthe person, and the outlet 2 leads from said depression or space, as inFig. 2. The main source of water for the bowl in the illustration I haveshown is supplied through a chan nel 1 in the wallof the bowl, whichleads to the flushing-rim 1 and said'channel is connected by suitablecouplings with a pipe 5,

controlled by a suitable valve 6, connected with a source of supply. Thewater from the rim 1 may be used to charge the bowl and for flushing it.Connections are made for hot or cold water or a mixture thereof,

and for convenience in regulating the tem perature ,of the water Iprovide a suitable temperature-cock 7, connected with hot and cold watersupply pipes 8 9 and controlled by a valve 7, and to thetemperature-cock the pipe 5 is connected. From the bottom 1" a spray orjet of water is to be directed upwardly Within the bowl to reach aperson sittingon the rim 1- or over the bowl, and for these purposes Ihave shown said bottom provided with an opening 1 in which a chamber 10is located and which is provided with perforations 10, to form a sprayas water issues from said'chamber. As a convenient means of constructionI provide the chamber 10 with a flange 10", that rests upon acorresponding countersink in the bowl, and said chamber projects belowthe bottom of the bowl, as shown in Fig. 2, and may be provided withexterior threads 10, so as to be held in place by a nut-coupling or thelike,

11. The top sprinkler and nipple plate 10 is raised above the flange10", forming a space for the passage of water to the holes 10.

- 12 is a pipe that extends vertically in chamber 10 and projectsthrough the top plate 10. The pipe 12 is shown connected with a port ICOor channel 13, near the bottom of chamber provided for maintaining thevalve 28 in the 10, to which port or channel a supply-pipe 14 isconnected, and said pipe is controlled by a valve 15, the pipe 14 beingpreferably connected with the temperature-cock 7. Water is led intochamber 10 from a pipe 16, and in the arrangement I have shown said pipeleads toa vertically-disposed port 16, near the bottom of the chamberand opening into the latter. (See Fig. 5.) In the arrangementillustrated in Figs. 4: and 5 the bottom of chamber 10 is provided witha thick wall in which the ports 13 and 16 are provided, which forms aconvenient means for connecting the pipes 12, 14, and 16 with thechamber. The pipe 16 is controlled by a valve 17 and is preferablyconnected with the temperature-cock 7. By these means water of thedesired temperature may be passed through the holes 10 in chamber 10 asa spray or through the pipe 12 in the form of a stream or jet or throughboth simultaneously, as desired. The top of chamber 10 will preferablylie about flush with the surface of the bottom 1 of the bowl and thepipe 12 should not project'above said surface. To provide for connectinga rubber tube with pipe 12, the sprinkler-plate 10 of the bowl isdepressed or recessed at 10 into which recess the upper end of pipe 12extends, as shown in Fig. 4. Said pipe may be provided with a removablecap 18, connected therewith by screw-threads, and the arrangement issuch that a coupling 19, having internal threads, may be screwed to saidpipe, the coupling 19 being the ordinary coupling of a rubber tube 20,having the usual point for use in Vaginal or rectal injections or forproducing a needle-jet.

Means are provided for maintaining water in the bowl 1 either at alevelabout flush with or below the surface of bottom 1 to form the pool at 1and so as not to cover the spray or jet when they are used oratasuitable height above the bottom, and as a convenient means for thispurpose I have provided an outlet or overflow valve arrangement asfollows: I preferably utilize portions of the well-known secret overflowand waste comprising the stand-pipe 4, connected with the sewer, and theinternal overflow-pipe 26, having the customary valve for controllingthe outlet, a handle 27, and one or more lateral ports 26. The port 26is to be utilized in maintaining the high level of water in bowll, andto maintain the low level of water therein I provide the pipe 26 withone or more ports 26 below the port 26, and I control the port 26 by avalve 28, which in the example shown in Fig. 6 is in the form of a tubeadapted to slide within the pipe 26. Said tube 28 is shown provided withan operating-rod 29, connected thereto as by means of a cross-bar orperforated disk 30, secured to the tube 28 and to said rod, and said rodextends vertically through the handle 27 and is provided with a handleor button 29, whereby the tube or valve 28 can be manipulated. Means areposition for closing port 26*, and such means may consist of anextension 29 on rod 29, adapted to travel through a slot 31 in a cover31 on the handle 27, whereby when the rod 29 is raised to close port 26the extension 29 will pass through the slot 31 and can be turned tomaintain the parts, as indicated in Fig. 6. When the parts are in suchposition and water is passed into bowl 1, it will find a level therein,according to the height of port 26. When it is desired to maintain waterin the bowl at a lower level, the valve 28 will be pushed down touncover the port 26", and the latter will control such water-level. Itis evident, however, that valve 28 could be lowered from above'to closeport 26 and raised to open said port, if desired. When bowl 1 is to beemptied, the pipe 26 will be lifted in well-known manner.

When water is maintained at the high level in the bowl, the same may beused as a footbath or'the like, and when the water is at the low levelthe user while sitting upon the rim 1* can utilize the pool of water infront of him at 1 with which to wash his parts. This will be foundhighly useful. For some diseases a spray directed upon the afiectedparts is advantageous, and by sitting upon the rim 1 a spray fromchamber 10 can be thrown at close range upon the affected parts. Alsowhile the person is in the position stated he may project a jet directlyupon himself from the pipe 12, and in either case by sliding back andforth along rim 1 the user can cause the spray or jet to traverse theafiected parts. By connecting the tube 20 to pipe 12 a convenient meansis provided for taking an enema and for vaginal treatment While theperson sits over the bowl. The outlet 2 8 is preferably made relativelylarge, so as to carry away excrement that might unintentionally bepassed during the taking of the enema. As the various treatments can beeflected while the person sits upon the bowl,

it will be obvious that my invention provides a. ready and convenientappliance for the various uses intended and one that is cleanly andsanitary.

It will be observed that the outlet is entirely independent of and at adistance from the spray and jet devices, so that as excrement passesfrom the bowl it will not pass into the water-supply.

I do not limit my invention to the various details shown and described,as they may be varied without departing from the spirit thereof.

Having described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure byLetters Patent,

is v

1. A bidet comprising a bowl having a bottom provided with means fordirecting water upwardly, and a depression in the bottom to form a poolof water, an outlet connected with said depression, and means formaintaining water at different levels in the how],

and comprising means for exhausting water from the bowl, substantiallyas described.

2. A bidet comprising a bowl having a depending supporting-wall providedwith a rear opening and a depression in the bottom to form a pool ofwater, an outlet extension leading from said depression, and aflushingrim all made in a single piece of material, combined with a pipepassing through said opening in said wall and coupled to said extension,and a valve-controlled outlet connected with said pipe and provided withmeans for maintaining water in said bowl at diflferent levels,substantially as described.

3. A bidet comprising a bowl having a bottom, a chamber alined therewithand having perforations, means to supply the chamber with water, a pipepassing through said chamber and within the series of perforations, theupper end of said pipe below the perforations having means forconnection with a coupling for a syringe-point, and means for supplyingsaid pipe with water independently of the supply to the spray,substantially as described.

4. A bidet comprising a bowl having a bottom, a chamber alined therewithand having a top plate provided with perforations and with a recess, apipe leading through said top plate into said recess providing a spacebetween said pipe and the walls of said recess to receive a couplingfora syringe-point, and means for independently supplying water to saidchamber and to said pipe, substantially as described.

5. A bidet comprising a bowl, means for supplying the same with water,an outlet for the bowl, and means connected with said outlet formaintaining water in the bowl at different levels and comprising meansfor exhausting water from the bowl, substantially as described.

6. A bidet comprising a bowl, means for supplying the same with water,an outlet for the bowl, a stand-pipe connected with the outlet, anoverflow-pipein the stand-pipe provided with ports at different levels,and a valve to control the lower port, whereby water may be maintainedat different'levels in the bowl, substantially as described.

7. A bidet comprising a bowl, means for supplying the same with water,an outlet for the bowl, a stand-pipe connected with the out let, anoverflow-pipe in the stand-pipe provided with ports at difierent levels,a tubular valve in the overflow-pipe to control the lower port, and arod connected with said valve and extending upwardly beyond the overflowpipe, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

8. An overflow-valve comprising a stand pipe, a movablevalve-controlling pipe there in, said pipe having ports at difierentlevels; a valve to control the lower port, and means for independentlyoperating said valve, sub stantially as described.

9. The combination of a bowl provided with an outlet and having anopening in its bottom, with a chamber located in said opening, saidchamber having spray-holes in its coverplate and provided beneath saidholes with ports, one of said ports leading to said chamber and a pipeleading to said port, a pipe located within said chamber leading to theother port and opening through the coverplate, a pipe connected with thelast-mentioned port, and means for controlling the supply of water tosaid ports.

FRANK A. WELLS.

Witnesses:

T. F. BOURNE, M. MANNING.

